Highlights

  • Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth's success sets a new standard for video game remakes by giving the classic game a complete overhaul.
  • Fans eagerly anticipate the future of the Final Fantasy 7 Remake trilogy and potential future remakes, despite potential drawbacks.
  • Developing high-quality remakes like Final Fantasy 7 Remake trilogy takes immense time and effort, setting a challenging precedent. For example, a potential FF8 remake in the same vein would likely take until the 2040s to wrap up at this rate, meaning fans will be waiting a long time for their favorites to get a touch-up.

The Final Fantasy 7 Remake trilogy has already proven to be immensely successful, and this includes Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth, as its early previews and demos have garnered high praise from fans and critics. This is due in large part to the fact that Square Enix has gone above and beyond simply enhancing the classic game's visuals, and instead has set a standard for video game remakes by giving Final Fantasy 7 a complete overhaul while remaining faithful to the source material.

As fans gear up for the second chapter of the Final Fantasy 7 Remake trilogy and one of the biggest releases of 2024, Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth, they continue to wait in anticipation for what may come next for the series, including the next mainline installment and any potential future remakes. However, regardless of its incredible success, the Final Fantasy 7 Remake trilogy sets an unfortunate precedent for the future, especially if Square Enix plans to do more remakes after Final Fantasy 7's is completed.

Vincent Valentine on top of a building in Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth
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Final Fantasy 7 Remake's Development Sets an Unfortunate Precedent for the Future

Development for the first chapter of the Remake trilogy, Final Fantasy 7 Remake, began in late 2015 and the full game was released in 2020. Now, with Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth releasing this year, if the pattern continues, Final Fantasy 7 Remake Part 3 may not launch until 2028 or 2029. However, the length of time between each of these games isn't what the real issue is. The main problem with how long it has taken to develop the Final Fantasy 7 Remake trilogy lies in what could potentially come after it.

Final Fantasy 7 may be considered the best Final Fantasy game ever made, but it is far from being the only one worthy of a remake. For instance, fans would love to see a remake of Final Fantasy 8, as it has been regarded as one of Final Fantasy 7's strongest competitors when it comes to its story, characters, gameplay, and music. Final Fantasy 10 is another great remake candidate, along with Final Fantasy 9, although Final Fantasy 10 may be less in need of one than its predecessor.

If Square Enix were to start development on a remake of Final Fantasy 8 ...it's likely the full remake of Final Fantasy 8 wouldn't be finished and released until somewhere between 2040 and 2045.

Unfortunately, if the Final Fantasy 7 Remake trilogy's development has proven anything, it's that developing a remake of its caliber takes a lot of time. Specifically, by the time the Final Fantasy 7 Remake trilogy is completed, it will have been almost fifteen years since its development began. If Square Enix were to start development on a remake of Final Fantasy 8, for instance, and it chose to release it in three parts just as it is doing with the Final Fantasy 7 Remake trilogy, it's likely the full remake of Final Fantasy 8 wouldn't be finished and released until somewhere between 2040 and 2045.

This is all speculation, of course, but it is perhaps one of the most disheartening truths of the Final Fantasy 7 Remake. There is little doubt that the Final Fantasy 7 Remake trilogy has been a lot of work for Square Enix, especially considering how seemingly spotless it is and how massive installments like Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth are turning out to be. As such, it's difficult to imagine the developer wanting to continue this kind of work much longer in the future. Still, it has long proven its dedication to its fans, so it may very well choose to continue shelling out remakes that match the quality of the Final Fantasy 7 Remake trilogy, regardless of how long it might take to do so.